Have you ever experienced an unexpected wave of anxiety, a sudden muscle contraction, or an intense emotional response that seemed to come out of nowhere? These reactions might be your body's way of communicating unresolved trauma that remains stored within your nervous system.

At Red Beard Somatic Therapy, we understand that trauma isn't just a mental experience—it's a whole-body phenomenon that can remain present long after the triggering events have passed. The good news? Your body also holds the key to healing and release.

The Science of Trauma Storage: How Your Body Holds onto the Past

When we experience threatening or overwhelming situations, our nervous system responds instantly with survival mechanisms—fight, flight, or freeze. These natural protective responses are designed to help us survive danger.

What happens during traumatic experiences?

During threatening events, several physiological changes occur:

• Your autonomic nervous system shifts into sympathetic activation (fight/flight) or dorsal vagal shutdown (freeze)
• Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline flood your system
• Your muscles tense in preparation for survival actions
• Your brain's prefrontal cortex (rational thinking) becomes less active while survival centers take over

If you're unable to complete these defensive responses—perhaps because you couldn't literally fight or run away—this activation remains "incomplete" within your nervous system. As neuroscientist and trauma expert Dr. Peter Levine explains, "Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness."

Where trauma is stored in the body

Recent research in neurobiology reveals trauma can be stored in multiple ways:

• Procedural memory: Your body remembers postures, movements, and tension patterns associated with the traumatic experience
• Autonomic nervous system patterns: Persistent states of hypervigilance or shutdown
• Tissue memory: Chronic muscle tension, especially in areas like the psoas muscle, jaw, shoulders, and diaphragm
• Altered brain pathways: Changes in the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex that affect how you process stress and emotions

As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk famously said, "The body keeps the score." Long after conscious memories fade, your body may continue responding as if the danger is still present.

Body Awareness Practices: The First Step to Healing

Before we can release stored trauma, we need to rebuild a compassionate relationship with our body. Many trauma survivors have learned to disconnect from bodily sensations as a protective mechanism, but healing requires gently reconnecting.

Begin with safety

The foundation of all trauma work is establishing safety. Your nervous system needs to recognize that the danger has passed before meaningful release can occur. Try these simple practices:

• Orientation: Take a moment to notice your surroundings, naming objects you can see in the room. This helps your nervous system recognize you're safe in the present moment.
• Grounding: Feel your feet on the floor, the support of whatever you're sitting on, and the sensation of air on your skin.
• Resource anchoring: Bring to mind a person, place, or memory that helps you feel safe and supported. Notice how your body responds to this positive resource.

Develop interoception (inner body awareness)

Interoception—the ability to sense your internal bodily states—is often disrupted by trauma. These practices can help restore this vital capacity:

• Body scanning: Slowly move your attention through different parts of your body, noticing sensations without judgment.
• Pendulation: Gently move between focusing on areas of comfort in your body and areas of mild discomfort, building tolerance for sensation.
• Tracking changes: Notice how sensations shift and move rather than seeing them as fixed or permanent.

Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate discomfort but to build your capacity to be present with sensations without becoming overwhelmed.

Release Through Breath, Movement, and Tremors

Once you've established safety and body awareness, your system can begin to discharge stored activation through several natural mechanisms.

Breath practices for regulation and release

Your breath is a powerful tool for nervous system regulation:

• Diaphragmatic breathing: Deep belly breathing activates the parasympathetic "rest and digest" response, countering the stress response.
• Extended exhales: Making your exhale slightly longer than your inhale helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in calming your system.
• Breath and movement: Combining breath with gentle movement helps release tension stored in the body.

Movement as medicine

Movement is essential for completing those "incomplete" defensive responses that may be stored in your tissues:

• Gentle stretching: Especially focusing on areas where you hold tension.
• Shaking and vibration: Gentle, spontaneous shaking helps discharge energy and tension.
• Expressive movement: Free-form movement without structure can help release emotions and tension patterns.

The power of neurogenic tremors

One of the most powerful mechanisms for trauma release is through neurogenic tremors—the body's natural way of discharging tension. At Red Beard Somatic Therapy, we utilize TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises), a safe and controlled method for activating your body's natural tremor mechanism.

These gentle, involuntary muscle vibrations:

• Help release deep muscular tension
• Calm the nervous system
• Restore balance to your autonomic functions
• Often bring a sense of relief, relaxation, and integration

Unlike more cognitive approaches, tremoring works from the bottom up, directly addressing the physiological imprints of trauma stored in the body.

Integrating Somatic Release into Your Healing Journey

Healing isn't a one-time event but a process of building new patterns in your nervous system. Here are some ways to support ongoing integration:

• Start small: Brief, regular practice is more effective than occasional intense sessions
• Honor your pace: There's no timeline for healing—trust your body's wisdom
• Combine approaches: Somatic work often pairs well with other modalities like talk therapy
• Get support: Working with a qualified somatic practitioner provides guidance and containment

Your Next Steps Toward Embodied Healing

Ready to begin your journey of somatic healing? Red Beard Somatic Therapy offers multiple pathways to support your process:

• Free consultation calls to explore which approach might be right for you
• For those interested in learning TRE® in a supportive online environment, we recommend exploring the classes offered by Neurogenic Integration, our sister organization at https://neurogenic-integration.com/webshop/#classes. These accessible online programs complement our in-person work and provide ongoing community support for your practice.

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Remember, your body's wisdom runs deep. By working with rather than against your natural healing mechanisms, you can release old patterns and create space for greater ease, connection, and aliveness.

"The same body that remembers can also let go." – Peter Levine

Want to learn more about how somatic therapy can support your healing journey? Book a free 20-minute consultation with one of our experienced practitioners today.

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References

1. Rothschild, B. (2000). The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment.
2. Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
3. Levine, P. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
4. Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation.
5. Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy.
6. Scaer, R. (2001). The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease.
7. Berceli, D. (2008). The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process.
8. Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors.
9. Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation.
10. Payne, P., Levine, P., & Crane-Godreau, M. (2015). Somatic Experiencing: Using Interoception and Proprioception as Core Elements of Trauma Therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93.